How I Track a Full Game From Film in 20 Minutes

We've all been there. Back-to-backs. Late nights. Too tired to do stats and would rather just watch the film or go to bed. But sometimes they add up, and next thing you know, games accumulate and you're behind on your MaxPreps stats.

I've been there a couple times this season, especially after four straight back-to-backs. (Will never do that again.) I wished there was a faster way to record stats since I had already analyzed the film and didn't really need to analyze it again. I tried trials for sites that let you upload film. None of them were accurate, especially since we just record with one camera. Tried apps. Some were okay, others way too convoluted. None of them seemed any more efficient than what I was doing on my Excel sheet.

I created CourtBook as the efficient way to track stats. Give coaches a variety of tools so they can spend more time coaching and less time figuring out shooting percentages. A coach should spend more time coaching and analyzing film than marking stats. I'm sure everyone would agree.

My Setup

My workflow with CourtBook has been relatively simple. Film on one half of my screen, CourtBook on the other. Essentially the same setup as before. But this time I have way more tools available.

Voice: The Fastest Way I've Found

Lately I've been sticking to CourtBook's voice stat recording system. This took what used to be 40 minutes to an hour of film — plus all the time pausing, double-clicking the Excel sheet, and marking stats — down to literally however long I feel like watching film. That's it. While the film is playing, I just say "Marcus made three," "Jacob rebound," "Brett to Darren two." Stats recorded without me clicking a button.

If it's not film I need to analyze, I put it on 2x speed and I'm done in half the time. If it is film I want to break down, I'll lean back in my chair, Hudl on my TV, CourtBook on my phone, just talking through the stats as they happen.

Hotkeys: Just as Fast, No Talking Required

Now if talking isn't your thing, CourtBook's custom hotkeys are just as efficient. Instead of even touching your mouse, just press a key that's linked to a player, then a key that's linked to a stat. That's it. Two keystrokes. And if you have an assist, press the passer, then the scorer, then the stat — the assist and the shot both log automatically. What should take four clicks turns into three keystrokes.

The Point

The whole reason I built this was because I got tired of the stat grind eating into time I should've been spending on game prep or, honestly, just sleeping. Whether you use voice, hotkeys, or just tap the screen, the goal is the same — get the stats done fast so you can get back to coaching.

If you've got five games piling up and you're dreading the catch-up, try running one through with voice. You'll wonder why you ever paused film to type into a spreadsheet.

Coach Martin runs a high school basketball program in Louisiana and built courtbook.net because he was tired of spreadsheets.